{{short description|American attorney and politician from Vermont}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = John L. Edwards |image = John L. Edwards (Vermont attorney and politician).jpg |alt = Black and white 1896 head and shoulders photo of John L. Edwards in suit and tie, facing front, looking slightly to his left |caption = From the November 1896 issue of ''The Vermonter'' magazine |office = State's Attorney of Orleans County, Vermont |term_start = 1849 |term_end = 1850 |predecessor = Henry F. Prentiss |successor = Norman Boardman |birth_date = {{Birth date|1819|8|27}} |birth_place = Walden, Vermont, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|1895|10|19|1819|8|27}} |death_place = Walden, Vermont, U.S. |resting_place = East Main Street Cemetery, Newport, Vermont, U.S. |party = Whig (before 1856)<br/>Democratic (from 1856) |spouse = Elizabeth C. Brigham (m. 1847) |children = 1 |education = University of Vermont (attended) |profession = Attorney }} '''John L. Edwards''' (August 27, 1819 – October 19, 1895) was a Vermont attorney and politician. A Democrat during the more than 100 years when Republicans won every statewide election, he was the Democratic nominee for governor of Vermont in 1867 and 1868. In addition, he was a successful candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 1874 and 1876.
==Early life== John Lindsley Edwards{{efn|Some sources give Edwards' middle name as "Lindsey."}} was born in Walden, Vermont on August 27, 1819, the eleventh of thirteen children born to Timothy Edwards and Nancy (Gilman) Edwards.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dale |first=George N. |author-link=George N. Dale |editor-last=Baldwin |editor-first=Frederick W. |editor-link=Frederick W. Baldwin |date=1886 |title=Biography, John L. Edwards |url=https://archive.org/details/biographyofbarof01bald/page/158/mode/1up?view=theater |magazine=Biography of the Bar of Orleans County, Vermont |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press |pages=158–159 |via=Internet Archive |ref={{sfnRef|Dale}}}}</ref> He was raised on the family farm in Walden and attended the local schools, followed by attendance at Newbury Seminary in Newbury, Vermont and New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}<ref>{{cite book |author=New-Hampton Academical and Theological Institution |date=1840 |title=Catalogue of the Officers and Students of the New-Hampton Academical and Theological Institution |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/21364279?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22736e3854333167546f4a43536264432f466247633146473553575848634169714b6d30796a527434516d4d3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |location=Concord, NH |publisher=Young and Worth |page=7 |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref>
Edwards attended the University of Vermont (UVM) from 1840 to 1841, then decided to leave college and prepare for a career as an attorney.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}{{efn|In 1885, UVM awarded Edwards the honorary degree of Master of Arts.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 16, 1885 |title=Educational Intelligence: Vermont |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yBDAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA85 |work=Journal of Education |publisher=New England Publishing Company |location=Boston, MA |page=85 |via=Google Books}}</ref>}} He studied law in the Derby office of Stoddard B. Colby for two years.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} Edwards was admitted to the bar in June 1843 and began to practice in Brownington.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}
==Start of career== In January 1844, Edwards moved to Barton, and in October 1845, he relocated first to Derby, and later to Newport.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In Newport, he practiced as the partner of William M. Dickerman in the firm of Edwards & Dickerman until 1847, when he established a solo practice.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In the fall of 1857 he went into partnership with Edward A. Stewart as Edwards & Stewart.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} While residing in Derby, Edwards was a leader of the effort to construct a new building for Derby Academy.<ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Earle |editor-first=A. A. |date=September 7, 1869 |title=Dedication of Derby Academy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/orleans-independent-standard-academy/153909691/ |work=Orleans Independent Standard |location=Barton, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1858, he became the partner of Samuel W. Slade of St. Johnsbury.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In 1864, Edwards joined Jerry E. Dickerman of Newport and they used the Edwards & Dickerman name for their partnership.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}
In addition to practicing law, Edwards became active in politics as a Whig, and he served as State's Attorney of Orleans County from 1849 to 1850.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In 1850, he was a delegate to the Vermont constitutional convention.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} After the demise of the Whigs in 1856, Edwards joined the Democratic Party, and he was a delegate to the 1857 state constitutional convention.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In 1862, Edwards was a member of the Vermont Council of Censors, the body that met once every seven years to review laws passed by the Vermont General Assembly to ensure their constitutionality.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} He was an unsuccessful candidate to represent Orleans County in the Vermont Senate on several occasions, including 1863, 1878, 1882, and 1884.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 28, 1863 |title=Democratic Nominations: Orleans County |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-weekly-sentinel-orleans/153991935/ |work=The Burlington Weekly Sentinel |location=Burlington, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Blake |editor-first=Geo H. |date=August 26, 1878 |title=Orleans County Democratic Ticket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/orleans-county-monitor-ticket/153991683/ |work=Orleans County Monitor |location=Barton, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 24, 1882 |title=Official vote of the county at the last election |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/express-and-standard-senators/153910200/ |work=The Express and Standard |location=Newport, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 20, 1884 |title=Orleans County Democrats |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/argus-and-patriot-orleans/153992404/ |work=Argus and Patriot |location=Montpelier, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Continued career== As a Democrat during the post-American Civil War period when Republicans won every statewide election in Vermont, Edwards was the party's unsuccessful nominee for governor of Vermont in 1867, and lost to Republican John B. Page.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://electionarchive.vermont.gov/candidates/view/John-Edwards |title=Past Elections: John L. Edwards |author=Elections Division |website=Elections Results Archive |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=August 23, 2024 |ref={{sfnRef|"Past Elections: John L. Edwards"}}}}</ref> He was also the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor in 1868, and again lost to Page.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}{{sfn|"Past Elections: John L. Edwards"}} In 1872, Edwards was appointed a federal register in bankruptcy, and he held this post until his death.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}} In the 1890s, Edwards also served as a commissioner for the United States District Court for the District of Vermont.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Womack |first=Emmett |date=1895 |title=Official Register of the United States |volume=I |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/21388349?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22786e4e41446b7163382b3462706c364f326e3430535a456248444d61506e744a6763677a376743727266593d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=1018, [https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/21388396?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a225865444a4635353759495948304c794d327a375a676376724b65716f304e5670796e41494e415a734e6e6f3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d 1019] |via=Ancestry.com |access-date=August 24, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In 1874, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Vermont's 3rd district seat in the United States House of Representatives, and lost to incumbent George W. Hendee.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}{{sfn|"Past Elections: John L. Edwards"}} He was again the unsuccessful Democratic nominee in 1876, and was again defeated by Hendee.{{sfn|Dale|page=159}}{{sfn|"Past Elections: John L. Edwards"}} When J. E. Dickerman became the U.S. Collector of Customs for Newport, he appointed Edwards as his deputy.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 22, 1895 |title=Death of John L. Edwards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rutland-daily-herald-edwards/153882571/ |work=Rutland Herald |location=Rutland, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Death of John L. Edwards"}}}}</ref> In addition to his collector's post, Edwards was a member of the board of directors of the Newport National Bank.{{sfn|"Death of John L. Edwards"|page=1}} In 1878, Edwards was a founder of the Vermont Bar Association and he served as one the organization's vice presidents.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 1, 1878 |title=Vermont Bar Association |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-johnsbury-caledonian-association/153909018/ |work=The St. Johnsbury Caledonian |location=St. Johnsbury, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== Edwards experienced a stroke while visiting his family's farm in Walden on August 27, 1895.{{sfn|"Death of John L. Edwards"|page=1}} He was left partially paralyzed and remained at the farm until his death on October 18, 1895.{{sfn|"Death of John L. Edwards"|page=1}} Edwards was buried at East Main Street Cemetery in Newport.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nekg-vt.com/cemetery/cemetery_Orleans-newport-east-main-st.php |title=List of Burials, East Main St. Cemetery, Newport, Orleans Co., Vermont |last=Boyko |first=Janice |date=September 24, 2019 |website=NEKG-VT.com |publisher=Northeast Kingdom Genealogy |access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref>
In December 1847, Edwards married Elizabeth C. Brigham of Brownington.{{sfn|Dale|page=162}} They were the parents of one child, Nellie L. Dorman, whom they adopted when she eight years old.{{sfn|Dale|page=162}}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, John L.}} Category:1819 births Category:1895 deaths Category:People from Walden, Vermont Category:People from Newport (city), Vermont Category:New Hampton School alumni Category:American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Category:State's attorneys in Vermont Category:Vermont Whigs Category:Vermont Democrats